Will John McCain spend his last days as a bigot?

John McCain says now is not the right time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In fact, he appears to suggest, next year won't be either, or the year after that, or the year after that.

So how does never grab you, eh?

We all know his endgame now. First Senator McCain asked for input from the military on the issue. (They didn't think to poll US forces on when or where they fight, but let's overlook that).

McCain got his military study and then - appalled by the result - he cherry picked it and hid behind the few remaining military leaders still willing to echo his own apparent anti-gay animus.

I'm not why sure a senator with his decades of experience is unable to see that the law's on its way out (possibly as soon as tomorrow) and will harm the military more than help it if it's not repealed legislatively.

And I'm not sure what happened to the so-called maverick, or exactly when he turned into grumpy old lawn guy, but the transformation is obvious and complete.

What do you call a man who picks fights with people he knows can not answer him back?

For McCain, as for most people who appear to be irredeemably homophobic, it seems bigotry trumps all common sense, so he'll likely take his objections to gay soldiers serving equally to the end of his days.

He will be remembered as the man who foisted America with Sarah Palin and as the George Wallace of early 21 Century civil rights. What a sad coda to a long career.